It can also be a specific form of ableism. There are pretty much identical attitudes in the way blind/low vision and physically disabled and other classicly disabled kids/people are treated. A good example is that physically disabled people are taught to strive for walking, and to regard their wheelchair/walker as a "crutch".(think about the term wheelchair bound vs wheelchair user) Blind and low vision kids are also taught to use their residual vision as much as possible, b/c using a white cane or Braille isn't "as good" Gotta teach blind/low vision kids to function as much as possible like sighted people. Gee, sound familiar? :roll:. One of my friends actually attended Perkins School for the Blind in middle and high school, and he never got to learn Braille! 
Actually no. I do think most of the time choosing not to use Sign IS audist. Faire joure, what you are missing is that most of the time with oral only, the child wasn't presented with both speech and sign, and given a choice with what they wanted to use. It's more like " Oh my kid can hear and talk, so they don't "need" ASL or other "special needs" sort of interventions.
